Marx, Marxism(s), and the Cultural Economy

1. Marx, Marxism(s), and the Cultural Economy “All that is solid melts into air”

2. Political Economy of Media • What the EFF is it?

3. Keynes/von Hayek • “Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem” • “How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin.”

4. Mr. Marx • Who was he? • Tribe/Slavery/Feudal/Capital • Modernity/ization • 3 main “theories” • base/superstructure • Historical materialism • labor/surplus

5. Marx's Relevant Ideas • Base/superstructure or economic determinism • Economic base=mode of production • Once infrastructure modifies the superstructure will as well...ideology (ruling ideas) • Contradictions: • Capital/Labor • Bourgeoisie/Proletariat • Dialectics as “cure”

6. History/Ideas • Materialism=thought/existence • History a byproduct of class struggle/economics NOT ideas...survival • Material conditions create consciousness/World makes our ideas • "it is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence but their social existence that determines their consciousness” • False Consciousness= ideas that deceive us of our true position

7. Labor • Division of labor= increase productivity • Labor theory of value (Smith/Ricardo) • Alienation from nature, our work, other people and ourselves • Productive means=tools/machines, replace humans...capitalists need to control the means • Productive relations= human relations • Productive forces= “tools” + human labor • New forces= new relations

8. Labor Cont'd • Labor Power= capitalists buy all that WE have...??? • Exchange comes from variable capital to pay for labor • Surplus value= profit OR $ unpaid to work for making the commodity= EXPLOITATION • 3:33

9. Commodities • “the thing that by its properties satisfies human wants of some sort or another” • Commodity gets its soul through exchange • Commodification/commoditization? • Commodity Fetishism?

11. In the end... • Capitalism to socialism to communism • Class consciousness= objective and subjective • Where is Marx totally wrong??? • Failed Western revolutions • Growing/Affluent middle class • “Communist” states, not so good • But....Marx moves us from prediction to suggestion • Communist Quiz

12. Max Weber • Capitalism NOT solely materialist/production but market exchange • Rationalization: social life becomes calculated, efficient, controlled • Work ethic • Market • Government/Law • Science • Technology • “Iron Cage”

13. Antonio Gramsci • Hegemony= “picture of life” and taken for granted • Counter-Hegemony • Organic intellectual • Culture in base/superstructure • The press/media???

14. Culture Industry(ies) • H&A: industrial practices applied to culture • Standardization as the LOGIC • “always-the-same” • Cultural Industries: top down/bottom up. cultural materialism • Symbolic creativity • Commodity as text

15. Walter Benjamin • Aura/Mechanical Reproduction • Phantasmagoria • “expression of economy in its culture”

16. Consp. Consumption/Sign Value • Sign Value: exchange but as sign as well • Consumed AS symbols

17. Capital(s) • Capital • Cultural Capital • Position in social hierarchy based on taste • Marker of class • Object/Embodiment • Leisure time/$pent • Subcultural Capital • Social Capital

18. Cultural Economy • Extraction • Production • Distribution/Retail/Broadcast • Consumption • Disposal or...? • Recycle/Reproduction=Reworking existing “things” into new forms • Intellectual Property???